Once broken, these relationships become very difficult to mend. These relationships can be viewed as the properties of a small hand saw blade. A saw blade is a fragile disc that can be broken easily with just your fingers, but when used correctly those fragile blades can cut through steel. However, once broken, repairing the saw blade becomes nearly impossible and can never be restored to its full potential. This is the problem that afflicts both Okonkwo and Baba. They don't pay enough attention to the relationships they have and end up causing irreparable damage. Their decisions not only affect them, but also their children. It was this inability to understand their children's feelings that sabotaged any chance of having a successful father-son relationship. If you have no respect for someone and don't listen to what they have to say, how can you expect them to have respect for you and do the same?